1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an information processing apparatus usable by connecting to a home TV set. More particularly, the invention relates to an information processing apparatus which is, while for use as a TV game set, communication network information appliance, communication karaoke set, car navigator, intellectual training toy, word processor, practical information furnisher, on-production-line inspection device, measuring instrument or the like, to be used by connecting to a home TV set.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There is widespread of information processing apparatuses usable by connecting to a home TV set. These apparatuses include home TV sets, such as a Super Famicom (registered trademark) and Playstation (registered trademark).
The conventional home TV game machines have adopted a soft-and-hard separation type system wherein the main body is connected to a TV set while exclusive software for the home TV game machine can be supplied in a ROM cassette or CD-ROM form.
Meanwhile, there also are information processing apparatuses of a soft-and-hard integration type, in contrast to the soft-and-hard separation type of information processing apparatuses. These include, for example, soft-and-hard integration type TV game machines. This scheme has often been seen before the advent of the soft-and-hard separation type game machines.
However, these information processing apparatuses have involved the following problems in respect of use and development of software.
First of all, for the soft-and-hard separation type information processing apparatuses, the user must have possessed an information processing apparatus main body as a platform in advance of using software thereon.
This implies, for the software suppliers on one hand, that software sales never exceeds in number the platforms spread, i.e. sales population parameter is limited to those who possesses a platform.
Meanwhile, where the platform is for example a home TV game machine, the user would consider his or her platform as an exclusive TV game apparatus. This, however, results in difficulty for the user to accept, even if sold, such software other than of games as business-purpose software including stock price chart and various data base software and education software including English conversation training software. Meanwhile, the software distribution system today is relied upon that of hardware. Therefore, it is difficult to pursue distribution and sales of software other than of games on the basis of a game machine as a platform. Thus, the software supplier have undergone hindrance against free development and sale of software.
Furthermore, software basically must be developed adapted to a man-machine interface provided on a platform. It is however difficult to provide an optimal man-machine interface for software.
On the other hand, the soft-and-hard integration type information processing apparatuses is advantageous in that the sales population parameter is not limited in number to the platforms spread because they are sold in the form installed previously with software.
Turning now again to TV game machines of the soft-and-hard integration type for example, they are of an exclusive design including hardware. Many of them are configured only by a wired logic without employing a microprocessor.
That is, in the conventional soft-and-hard integration type TV game machine are installed with nothing more than simple software with using different hardware for each use. Due to this, there has been a need to make software modular for enabling reuse. However, such scheme could not cope with complicated ones of software.
In the meanwhile, the soft-and-hard separation type information processing apparatuses, in many cases, are provided with an operating system, device driver, basic input/output system and so on. This is due not only to enhancing the efficiency of software development but also to sustaining the interchangeability of software between different hardware systems. The application software developers need not to manufacture system modules by themselves but are required to self-prepare all part of the application software except for these.